This application relates generally to gas turbine engines and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for cooling gas turbine engine rotor assemblies.
At least some known rotor assemblies include at least one row of circumferentially-spaced rotor blades. Each rotor blade includes an airfoil that includes a pressure side, and a suction side connected together at leading and trailing edges. Each airfoil extends radially outward from a rotor blade platform. Each rotor blade also includes a dovetail that extends radially inward from a shank extending between the platform and the dovetail. The dovetail is used to mount the rotor blade within the rotor assembly to a rotor disk or spool. Known blades are hollow such that an internal cooling cavity is defined at least partially by the airfoil, platform, shank, and dovetail.
During operation, because the airfoil portions of the blades are exposed to higher temperatures than the shank and dovetail portions, temperature mismatches may develop at the interface between the airfoil and the platform, and/or between the shank and the platform. Over time, such temperature differences and thermal strain may induce large compressive thermal stresses to the blade platform. Moreover, over time, the increased operating temperature of the platform may cause platform oxidation, platform cracking, and/or platform creep deflection, which may shorten the useful life of the rotor blade. Furthermore, such temperature differences may also induce stresses into root trailing edge openings, which over time may also shorten the useful life of the rotor blade by inducing cracking at the exit of such openings.
To facilitate reducing the effects of the high temperatures in the platform region, at least some known rotor blades include a cooling opening formed within the shank. More specifically, within at least some known shanks the cooling opening extends through the shank for providing cooling air into a shank cavity defined radially inward of the platform. However, within known rotor blades, such cooling openings may provide only limited cooling to the rotor blade platforms.